| Previous Section | Home Page |
Mr. Mellor : We do not hold this information centrally. The hon. Member may wish to contact Mr. D. H. White, the chairman of Nottingham health authority and Sir Michael Carlisle, the chairman of Trent regional health authority.
Mental Illness
Ms. Abbott : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) whether his Department has conducted or is conducting research into the reasons for the disproportionate numbers of blacks in mental hospitals ;
(2) whether his Department has conducted or is conducting research into the disproportionately high incidence of diagnosed schizophrenia among blacks.
Mr. Freeman : The Department of Health directly commissions a range of research into mental illness pertaining to the general population. The Department is not funding research specifically into reasons for the occurrence of mental illness in ethnic minorities ; but since 1985 it has been supporting NAFSIYAT, a voluntary organisation active in the field of ethnic psychiatry, to evaluate the effectiveness in providing a treatment service in the community aimed at ethnic minority populations. The Department has made available about £1 million in 1988-89 for research into the care and treatment of mentally ill people, including schizophrenia.
In 1987-88 (the latest year for which figures are available) the Medical Research Council, the main Government agency for the funding of medical and related biological research in the United Kingdom, allocated £10.4 million to research into mental health.
Ms. Abbott : To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department intends to review mental health care among ethnic minorities in light of the particular problems faced by such groups.
Mr. Freeman : It is for health and social services authorities to identify and take account of the needs of all sections of the community when reviewing, planning and funding local mental health services. The importance of mental health care was emphasised at a seminar on ethnic minority health, held in November 1987 for health authority chairmen and managers, chaired by the then Minister for Health. The Minister drew attention to the difficulties which needed to be overcome when mentally ill
Column 40
patients and those treating them had different cultural backgrounds. In addition, where appropriate, Ministers are raising questions on improving health services for ethnic minorities through the review system.AIDS
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will review his decision not to place Waltham Forest in category A or B with respect to funding for AIDS treatment as set out in circular LAC (89) 1 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Mellor : No. Our main aim in distributing the support grant for social services for people with AIDS is to help those local authorities that face the most immediate pressures in 1989-90. Category A authorities are those that are estimated to have by far the greatest concentration of people with AIDS and people at risk of infection. Category B includes those authorities which have smaller numbers and those which have fewer cases but which have located in their areas major regional treatment centres associated with which is an additional workload for local authority social services. The London borough of Waltham Forest does not meet these criteria, but, along with all other social services authorities in England, is eligible to bid for funds to assist the planning of services for the future. The Department will continue monitoring the distribution of cases nationally and keep the situation of all authorities under review.
Sir Michael McNair-Wilson : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what financial contribution is being made to his AIDS campaign by organisations other than his Department.
Mr. Mellor : Health Departments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have provided £495,000 for specific work to be conducted by their respective health education agencies and as a contribution to the National AIDS Helpline which provides a service to the whole United Kingdom.
Other Government Departments have financed specific initiatives related to their fields of responsibility. These include the provision by the Department of Education and Science of educational material for teachers and for use with secondary school pupils ; development by the Home Office of educational material for use in prisons ; and provision by the Department of Employment and the Health and Safety Executive of an information booklet for the workplace.
Mr. Marlow : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many AIDS patients are currently being treated in each London hospital where AIDS is treated ; and if he will give his best estimate in each case of the number of foreign nationals involved.
Mr. Mellor : We do not hold this information centrally.
Mr. Marlow : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the estimated average annual treatment cost and total eventual treatment cost of (a) each AIDS patient from the time of being identified as HIV positive and (b) each drug addict seeking treatment.
Mr. Mellor : On current evidence, our best estimate is that the average cost of treating a person with AIDS from diagnosis to death is between £20,000 and £30,000.
Column 41
Because of the wide variety in the amounts and types of treatment given to drug misusers, it is not possible to estimate average treatment costs.Genito-urinary Clinic (Waltham Forest)
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will direct North East Thames regional health authority to approve a genito- urinary clinic to be located in Waltham Forest ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Freeman : Planning of health services within a particular area is a matter for the health authority concerned, which is best able to judge priorities in the light of local needs and circumstances.
Departmental Staff (Child Care)
Ms. Richardson : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what child care provision his Department providesfor pre-school age children of employees ; what child care provision for school holidays or after school care is provided for employees' children aged five years and over ; what plans there are for increasing provision in the next five years ; and how are these to be funded.
Mr. Freeman : At present no provision for the child care of the pre- school age children of staff is made in this Department, although preliminary discussions on such facilities have taken place. A holiday play scheme has been organised for the forthcoming Easter holidays for the children of staff working in HQ buildings in central London. Additionally staff working in the Whitehall area can make use of the centrally organised holiday play schemes.
Child care provision is one of the areas being examined in a review of opportunities available to women employees in the Department. We hope to base any further holiday play schemes on the experience we are gaining.
The schemes are intended to be self-supporting, but the Department has provided funding to prime them.
Cancer (West Ham)
Mr. Tony Banks : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will order an inquiry into the causes of the cancer cluster now identified in West Ham in the London borough of Newham.
Mr. Freeman : Research into the epidemiology of cancer is undertaken by a number of cancer registries and research organisations funded both by Government and independently. Department of Health officials will ascertain whether any study into the incidence of cancer in West Ham has been or is being undertaken, and will discuss the matter with the district health authority.
Column 42
Departmental Expenditure
Sir John Stanley : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what amounts are included within the estimated outturn public expenditure for his Department in 1987-88 in Cm. 288-II for (a) expenditure by way of grants or other forms of non-recoverable expenditure and (b) expenditure by way of loans.
Mr. Mellor : Estimated outturn expenditure for 1987-88 as detailed in Cm. 288-II included the following amounts for :
|£ million
-----------------------------------------------------------
(a) Current and capital grants |152
(b) Net lending to public corporations |12
Note:
The amount shown at (b) represents the external borrowing
limit for the General Practice Finance Corporation
guaranteed by Treasury stock.
Kidney Transplants
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients have received kidney transplants in each year since 1982.
Mr. Freeman : According to information provided by the United Kingdom transplant service, the number of cadaveric kidney transplants performed in the United Kingdom for patients entitled to NHS treatment was :
Year |Number --------------------------- 1982 |1,033 1983 |1,144 1984 |1,443 1985 |1,336 1986 |1,493 1987 |1,485 1988 |<1>1,544 <1> Provisional figure.
Kidney Dialysis
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list, by region, the number of patients undergoing dialysis treatment.
Mr. Freeman : According to information supplied by the European Dialysis and Transplant Association, the number of patients receiving dialysis by regional health authority, on 31 December 1987 was as follows :
|Region |Hospital haemodialysis |Home haemodialysis |Intermittent peritoneal
|dialysis
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Northern |243 |57 |18 |206
Yorkshire |177 |100 |2 |195
Trent |177 |233 |2 |309
East Anglian |121 |70 |0 |47
North West Thames |128 |82 |7 |141
North East Thames |204 |178 |3 |298
South East Thames |172 |137 |6 |271
South West Thames |11 |47 |0 |96
Wessex |70 |42 |0 |113
Oxford |105 |119 |0 |120
South Western |92 |159 |5 |180
West Midlands |193 |126 |0 |424
Mersey |128 |45 |8 |52
North Western |150 |156 |6 |271
Note:
There is no waiting list for renal dialysis, because it is an essential treatment for a life-threatening condition.
Hoffenberg Report
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) which of the various bodies concerned to progress the ideas combined in the Hoffenberg report have been consulted in the last year ; and what was the outcome of those negotiations ;
(2) which initiatives to promote organ donation were extended following discussions with the National Health Service ;
(3) if he will list those district health authorities which now have an operational policy for organ donation ; if he will list the number of potential donors identified in each district health authority in England ; and if he will estimate the percentage increase which this represents on the previous year's figure ; (4) if he has any plans to introduce a system of required request so as to increase the number of organ donors.
Mr. Freeman : Following publication of the report of the working party chaired by Sir Raymond Hoffenberg, we prepared a draft circular containing guidance to health authorities on organ donation. After consulting extensively with health authorities, medical bodies and other interested parties we issued health circular HC(88)63 copies of which have been placed in the Library in December 1988. For further details I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge (Mr. Shersby) on 13 December 1988 at column 555. The working party advised us against the use of required request legislation. The health circular asks district health authorities to draw up operational procedures for organ donation by 30 June 1989. Authorities have also commenced a survey which will enable us to assess the number of potential donors ; it is too early to form estimates at this stage,
Organ Transplants
Mr. Dobson : To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what information his Department has about organ transplants undertaken in (a) private hospitals and (b) National Health Service pay beds ; and what action he will take against hospitals and consultants who transplant organs which have been sold ;
(2) if he will consider introducing legislation to outlaw the sale of organs for transplants ;
(3) if he will initiate a compulsory register of all imports and exports of transplantable organs and tissue into and out of the United Kingdom and of all transplant operations.
Mr. Freeman : We do not at present collect information centrally on transplants carried out in private hospitals, or on the use of pay beds by transplant patients. On the subject of the register of organs, I refer the hon. Member to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Harlow
Column 44
(Mr. Hayes) on 26 January at columns 711-12. When investigations by Bloomsbury and Barnet health authorities are completed shortly, we shall consider urgently what action to take, including the relevance of legislation.Elderly People
Mr. Henderson : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many elderly people within each health authority in England and Wales were awaiting placement in geriatric hospitals or in residential homes in the local authority voluntary and private sectors at 1 January ; and what is the breakdown of numbers in each sector in each health area.
Mr. Freeman : Information about patients awaiting admission to hospital is collected according to the specialty of intended treatment, not by hospital type. Regional and district summaries of hospital in-patient lists at 31 March 1988, the latest available centrally, have been placed in the Library. Information about the numbers of elderly people seeking placement in residential homes in the local authority voluntary and private sectors is not collected centrally.
Tranquillisers
Ms. Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many psychiatric hospitals within the National Health Service have special units to enable people to withdraw from benzodiazepines.
Mr. Mellor : We do not hold this information centrally.
Ms. Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people are at present withdrawing from benzodiazepines in psychiatric hospitals within the National Health Service.
Mr. Mellor : We do not have this information centrally.
Ms. Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many working days were lost in 1987 as a result of people withdrawing from benzodiazepines.
Mr. Mellor : We do not hold this information.
Ms. Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of all prescriptions given in 1987 by National Health Service's doctors was for benzodiazepines.
Mr. Mellor : We do not have information in the form requested. In Great Britain in 1987 community pharmacists dispensed almost 399.7 million prescriptions. Of these, about 25.5 million, or almost 6.5 per cent., were for benzodiazepines.
Ms. Primarolo : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his estimate of the total number of children under the age of 16 years currently being prescribed benzodiazepines.
Column 45
Mr. Mellor : We do not collect this information centrally.
Imported Food Regulations
Mr. Ron Davies : To ask the Secretary of State for Health which public bodies are responsible for collecting information on the number and nature of prosecutions made for breaches of the Imported Food Regulations 1984.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke : This information is held by the local authority which has undertaken the prosecution. Such prosecutions are rarely necessary, since imported food which is found not to comply with the requirements of the Imported Food Regulations is normally dealt with by the port health authority in co-operation with the importer.
Listeria
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for Health what temperature of refrigeration is recommended by his Department to prevent the growth of listeria.
Mr. Kenneth Clarke : Appropriate storage temperatures for chilled food depend on factors such as the length of and the type of food. We are satisfied that the times and storage temperatures recommended in our guidelines on pre-cooked chilled food in catering produce a microbiologically sound product. In addition, as I said in my reply to the hon. Member for Stoke-on-Trent, North (Ms. Walley) on 27 January, we are preparing separately guidelines for retailed chilled foods which will be issued as soon as possible.
Cook-chill Meals
Mr. Hinchliffe : To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Wakefield, Official Report, 23 January, column 411, how many of the consultant microbiologists or control of infection officers in the Yorkshire area were consulted before the Yorkshire regional health authority made the decision to implement cook- chill catering across the whole region in September 1988.
Mr. Freeman : This is a matter for the Yorkshire regional health authority.
The hon. Member may wish to contact its chairman for the information he is seeking.
Hereditary Conditions
Mr. David Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for Health to what extent the new National Health Service register will help in tracing the medical records of those who suffer from hereditary conditions such as glaucoma and diabetes ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Mellor : The NHS central register exists to facilitate the transfer of medical records when patients move from one family practitioner committee area to another. It is not used to record whether people suffer from hereditary conditions ; this and other clinical information is contained in the individual medical records which are confidential. No change in the scope of the register is planned, but computerisation in 1990 is intended to speed up considerably the tracing and transfer of the medical records of all patients.
Column 46
Cash Limits
Mr. Devlin : To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether any changes will be made in the cash limits of his Department for 1988-89.
Mr. Mellor : Subject to parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimate, the cash limit for Class XIV Vote 3 (Miscellaneous health services and personal social services, England) will be increased by £4,995,000 to £424,256,000. The increases are made for an additional £3,697,000 to implement, from 1 April 1988, the recommendations of the review bodies in respect of doctors, dentists, nurses, midwives and professions allied to medicine as announced by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 21 April 1988, £100,000 for nurses' and midwives' pay as announced in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Harlow (Mr. Hayes) on 1 November 1988 at column 601, £5 million for a grant to the Motability 10th anniversary trust fund and £250,000 for the "Eggs : The Facts" advertising campaign. These increases are offset by a surrender of £3,236,000 in respect of a grant to the independent living fund and of £250,000 in respect of grants to organisations serving the interests of persons affected by an error in the calculation of the retail prices index. These sums represent that portion of those grants which will not be paid at the level planned in the current financial year. The increases are further offset by a reduction of £566,000 to the sum announced by my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 21 July 1988 at column 726 to reflect a reduced carry forward of capital underspends allowed under the end-year flexibility scheme.
The net effect of these changes has been charged to the reserve and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.
Dietary Sugars
Mr. Shersby : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if, pending the report of the COMA panel on dietary sugars, he will request the Health Education Authority in planning its pilot campaign to promote dental health in the north-west to have regard for the conclusions and recommendations contained in two reports referred to by the hon. Member for Derbyshire, South (Mrs. Currie) in reply to the hon. Member for Newham, North-West (Mr. Banks) on 19 October 1988, Official Report, column 917.
Mr. Freeman : In planning its pilot campaign to promote dental health in the north-west, the Health Education Authority is taking into account all relevant scientific information, including the two reports quoted. The COMA panel on sugars in the diet will take account of these two reports, among others, in reaching its recommendations.
Medical Students
Mr. Robin Cook : To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many students entered medical training each year from 1976 to 1988 ; and how many qualified each year from 1982 to 1988.
Mr. Jackson : I have been asked to reply.
The following information was supplied by the University Grants Committee from a special medical return. The intake of pre-clinical medical students to United Kingdom medical schools was as follows :
Column 47
Academic year |Numbers ------------------------------------------ 1976-77 |3,809 1977-78 |3,944 1978-79 |3,979 1979-80 |3,987 1980-81 |4,010 1981-82 |4,072 1982-83 |4,154 1983-84 |4,108 1984-85 |4,125 1985-86 |4,093 1986-87 |4,119 1987-88 |4,125 <1>1988-89 |4,177 <1> Provisional
The number of students who obtained a first registrable medical qualification was as follows :
Academic year |Numbers ------------------------------------------ 1981-82 |3,545 1982-83 |3,742 1983-84 |3,640 1984-85 |3,636 1985-86 |3,628 1986-87 |3,762 1987-88 |3,744
Table file CW890130.030 not available
Column 49
TRANSPORT
Severn River Crossing
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will make a statement on the progress towards a new Severn river crossing ;
(2) when he proposes to begin the construction of a new Severn river crossing ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Bottomley : A number of groups of firms interested in bidding for the second Severn bridge have responded to the Department's invitation to submit proposals. These are now being assessed.
We hope to announce by the end of February the groups selected to submit full tenders. We remain on course to provide the bridge by the mid-1990s, if traffic levels justify this.
Promoters will be asked to indicate possible completion dates and the toll levels associated with them.
Lorries (Loose Bulk Loads)
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many accidents over the most recent period for which figures are available have (a) involved or (b) been caused by lorries carrying loose bulk loads ; and how many (i) deaths and (ii) serious injuries have been caused as a result of spillage of loose bulk loads.
Mr. Peter Bottomley : The information is not available. The Department does not record causes of accidents. Cause is often disputed or unclear.
The Department does have available the following figures taken from police reports of personal injury accidents :
In 1987, there were 246 accidents in which a dislodged vehicle load in the carriageway was recorded. In these accidents there were 334 casualties, of whom seven were killed and 78 seriously injured. Heavy goods vehicles were involved in only 86 of these accidents, which resulted in 135 casualties, including four fatalities and 42 serious injuries.
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has received any representations from people directly or indirectly damaged as a result of spillage from lorries carrying loose bulk loads ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Bottomley : We are aware of 14 such representations during the last five years covering a widely differing range of incidents.
It is important for lorry loads to be properly and safely secured. Drivers should follow carefully the guidance set out in the code of practice "Safety of Loads on Vehicles" prepared jointly by the Department, the road transport associations, vehicle and equipment manufacturers and the police.
It is also important to avoid diesel spillage which causes severe danger to motor-cyclists.
Aircraft Safety
Mr. Shersby : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had or proposes to have with the Civil Aviation Authority concerning the safety in use of twin-engined jet aircraft on transatlantic crossings ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Peter Bottomley : The Civil Aviation Authority has the statutory responsibility for the safety regulation of civil aviation.
Column 50
I am advised that the safety record of extended range operations by twin-engined aircraft is such that there has been no need for discussions with the CAA.NATO
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what are the posts, ranks and responsibilities of United Kingdom representatives designated to form part of the staff of the NATO agencies in transition to war and in war for (a) the Defence Shipping Authority (East), (b) the Interallied Insurance Organisation, (c) the Agency for the Co-ordination of Inland Surface Transport in Central Europe and (d) the NATO Civil Aviation Agency.
Mr. Portillo : Details of the United Kingdom representatives designated to form part of the Defence Shipping Authority (East), the Interallied Insurance Organisation, the Agency for the Co-ordination of Inland Surface Transport in Central Europe and the NATO Civil Aviation Agency are classified.
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what are the posts, ranks and responsibilities of United Kingdom delegates to the sub-committee on rail transport of NATO's planning board for European inland surface transport.
Mr. Portillo : The United Kingdom's delegates to the sub-committee on rail transport of NATO's planning board for European inland surface transport are :
One officer at grade-level from the Department of Transport ; A representative from British Rail ;
A Ministry of Defence major ; and a lieutenant-colonel or major from the British Army of the Rhine.
Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what is the title of the sub-committee of NATO's planning board for European inland surface transport (PBEIST) which deals with ports, beaches and inland waterways ; and what are the posts, ranks and responsibilities of United Kingdom delegates to this sub-committee.
Mr. Portillo : The title of the sub-committee of NATO's planning board for European inland surface transport (PBEIST) which deals with ports, beaches and inland waterways is the permanent sub-committee for ports, beaches and inland waterways transport (PBIWT). The United Kingdom is currently represented on this sub-committee by one officer at grade 7 level and one officer at SEO level from the Department and one officer at HEO level from the Ministry of Defence. The proceedings and further details of attendees are classified.
| Next Section
| Home Page |